Time for a Get Together

Bill,
The fire station that we stopped in is the second one on Rockaway's & its the first one inside the gated community. We were at the Rockaway Point VFD.

Now reading all the up-dates, there is a group in this area made up of a lot of FDNY firefighters that for about the last 10 years have sponsored a weekend for the wounded warriors. This group works along with one of the FDNY fire houses that we are hoping to stop in at in the other borough. I will supply you with info on this.
 
I would like to say that site member "Atlas" has offered us a lot of help. Actually he is the behind the scene guy that is really doing all the work. He is the one making all the contacts. He is the one that is working on everything.

  When I met up with him he had printed up a 9 or 10 page pamplet on places to visit. Alot of work went into that alone. He was the one that drove me around that entire day through the southern ends of Brooklyn and Queens, and into Staten Island. He has made suggestions and leaves the rest for me to decide.

  Between now and then (Oct 18th and 19th), we will try to do our best to make this get together an enjoyable one.

  "Atlas" gave me a list of about three dozen places to visit in the area. Of course that is impossible to do in two days. With traffic issues, weather issues, and just the fact that the nature of Fire Dept Business doesn't really allow us to make plans carved in stone, everybody who attends needs to realize we must be very flexible during this tour. The Fire Company that we planned to visit could be relocated 10 miles away or have their own activity going on.

  Generally speaking, we will plan to visit three or four places each day. That's the Plan, NOT a Promise. We will try to make back up plans for cases like that. One such place that we discussed was the Fire Musuem in Manhattan.

  Car pooling should be encouraged. I would be glad to take three guys with me in the Willy D Buff Mobile, as long as they don't mind sitting around some empty containers or Micky D wrappers. Crossing the VZ Bridge into Staten Island is $15.00 ($13.00 using EZ Pass).

  Looking at the hotels, I will probably stay at The Comfort Inn on Emmons Ave in Brooklyn. I rode by it and it is about half way between our tours. I will be staying Thursday (10/17) and Friday (10/18). The price is about $175 a night with Friday night being a little more. However for those of us who are somewhat mature and over the age of 60, I think it is like $155.00 a night. I believe AAA members also get that discount too. There is also a Best Western Hotel about a block or two away, about the same price. Sharing a room of course would save you some money.

  As mentioned we would like to make a decent donation to the TWO Charities mentioned earlier. I would like to have a commitment from those who wish to attend by October 1st. Your name and phone number, and the day or event you wish to attend, is what I'll need. (you can send me a pm on here). I realize we have not provided you with a tentative schedule yet, but we are working on that.
 
Bill - Just a suggestion.  Some guys may be coming in earlier and/or staying later.  Some may not be able to participate the full 2 days.  Is it possible to plan the core 2 day get together and then add some optional items for for guys that may be getting in the night before or statying an extra day for the full weekend?  Maybe more guys would be able to participate. 

I don't want to make this harder for you, Atlas and the guys planning.  But maybe when you have the schedule set, we could see if there is any interest in adding on ome options that someone else could coordinate.  Example - dinner the night before or maybe a basketball game (preseason) or a visit to Yonkers.

Just an idea. 
 
mack said:
Bill - Just a suggestion.  Some guys may be coming in earlier and/or staying later.  Some may not be able to participate the full 2 days.  Is it possible to plan the core 2 day get together and then add some optional items for for guys that may be getting in the night before or statying an extra day for the full weekend?  Maybe more guys would be able to participate. 

I don't want to make this harder for you, Atlas and the guys planning.  But maybe when you have the schedule set, we could see if there is any interest in adding on ome options that someone else could coordinate.  Example - dinner the night before or maybe a basketball game (preseason) or a visit to Yonkers.

Just an idea.
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  Joe, I am planning to be there the Thursday afternoon before. One guy mentioned about a little buffing. If anybody has any ideas or something they would like to do in addition to our regular plans, we can certainly entertain that. I have to leave that Saturday evening though.

  But you make a very good point. Somebody who may be flying in or drives several hundred miles, may certainly want to do things for more than two days. There are members on this site and they may have some ideas to toss out. If anybody wanted to head up to my area in Eastern, Ct (about 100 miles from NYC), I'd be happy to show them around. We have two casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun) for those that would like to try and triple their money (but no promises on that though). Also Mystic Seaport is another tourist thing around here. Or of course, I'd be glad to give them a tour of the firehouse that once was a big part of my life. 

  I'm about 40 miles from Hartford, about 50 miles from Providence and about 100 miles from Boston. If anybody wanted to spend a day or so ahead of our get together, I'd be glad to show them around. Hotels can run from about $50-$60 or so (Motel 6), to a few hundred dollars at the casinos.

  Except for working a part time job a few nights, I'm pretty much free to do whatever somebody wants. I don't gamble though. And here's something to think about. The casinos around here didn't get the money to build those 29 story hotels on winners. They got it on people that LOST their money. But as I understand it, if you need money to get back home "they'll float you a loan". 
 
nfd2004 said:
mack said:
Bill - Just a suggestion.  Some guys may be coming in earlier and/or staying later.  Some may not be able to participate the full 2 days.  Is it possible to plan the core 2 day get together and then add some optional items for for guys that may be getting in the night before or statying an extra day for the full weekend?  Maybe more guys would be able to participate. 

I don't want to make this harder for you, Atlas and the guys planning.  But maybe when you have the schedule set, we could see if there is any interest in adding on ome options that someone else could coordinate.  Example - dinner the night before or maybe a basketball game (preseason) or a visit to Yonkers.

Just an idea.
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  Joe, I am planning to be there the Thursday afternoon before. One guy mentioned about a little buffing. If anybody has any ideas or something they would like to do in addition to our regular plans, we can certainly entertain that. I have to leave that Saturday evening though.

  But you make a very good point. Somebody who may be flying in or drives several hundred miles, may certainly want to do things for more than two days. There are members on this site and they may have some ideas to toss out. If anybody wanted to head up to my area in Eastern, Ct (about 100 miles from NYC), I'd be happy to show them around. We have two casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun) for those that would like to try and triple their money (but no promises on that though). Also Mystic Seaport is another tourist thing around here. Or of course, I'd be glad to give them a tour of the firehouse that once was a big part of my life. 

  I'm about 40 miles from Hartford, about 50 miles from Providence and about 100 miles from Boston. If anybody wanted to spend a day or so ahead of our get together, I'd be glad to show them around. Hotels can run from about $50-$60 or so (Motel 6), to a few hundred dollars at the casinos.

  Except for working a part time job a few nights, I'm pretty much free to do whatever somebody wants. I don't gamble though. And here's something to think about. The casinos around here didn't get the money to build those 29 story hotels on winners. They got it on people that LOST their money. But as I understand it, if you need money to get back home "they'll float you a loan".
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Bill... I was talking to one of the Tribal Elders & he mentioned that you were getting a %
 
Mike, these guys are making too much money to let a small time operator like NFD2004 get a cut. He might be able to skim a little bit off the Mickey D tab, but that's about as big as it gets for him.

But I think when it comes to Big Bonus Pay Outs, it is probably Johnnyd248. Now there's a guy that can talk MONEY.
 
I hope to contact "Atlas" this week and maybe get a better idea on the plans for the entire trip. I have been contacted by a few guys showing interest already.

One site member asked me if this is only for a certain few members. This is for EVERYBODY. If you post everyday or only read some of the threads. If you have any interest in the FDNY you are certainly welcomed. The only two things we ask is that you conduct yourself in a respectable manner and give a donation as we pass the hat in appreciation to the two charities mentioned earlier. Of course I will post the total amount that we contribute to each after the events.

  For those who are fairly new to this site, let me try to explain.

  A few years ago I found out about this site. I had been a buff of the FDNY since the start of the War Years around 1968. My first real introduction to the FDNY was riding with Rescue 2 (see; "My Younger Buff Years" thread in History). I found out that there's alot of people who are really into the same thing. I found a group of people that I could finally relate to when it comes to the FDNY.

  The only people I knew before joining this site was "Johnd248" and "Bxboro". And actually, I hadn't seen them for many years. But through this site, it was a reunion of old friendships. Both great guys who I now keep in closer contact to. And it was only because of www.nycfire.net that it was possible.

  Now just a few years later, because of this site and a few earlier Get Togethers, the friendships and list of names have grown. We all have the same interest. Here's a list:

  Brian B., John B., Tommy B., Dean D., Frank D., Kevin D., Mike D., Steve D., Elwood E., Tom E., Kenny F., Garrett L., Emmett M., Jammie M., Joe M., and Mike M. Guys from Ct, Fla, NJ, NY, Tenn, and Va. And even from far away across the Atlantic Ocean. Don't let me forget "Dec", aka "Irish", from Ireland. They come from all backgrounds, but they all have the same common interest.

  You may notice that all of the above are "males". Probably if I had this many "Lady Friends", I wouldn't be spending so much time on this site.

  But anyway, "everybody is welcomed". We just ask that you follow the simple rules as stated earlier.
 
Just a reminder that we haven't forgotten about this Get Together. "Atlas" is doing a lot of behind the scene work on this.

As soon as everything is basically set up, we will post the plans. And again, because of the nature of the fire dept business, it is important that we all be very flexible about the schedule. If a run comes in, that's their priority.

When we do get the plans set up, that is when I will book the hotel. I will need your name and phone number if I don't already have it, and which day(s) you plan to attend. I hope that you would consider a donation and I will forward that to the charities mentioned. We also plan to do car pooling during the tours. We will probadly meet at the hotel (in Brooklyn) about 9am, and go from there.

  No booze (etc) until after our tours are complete. Remember that you will be representing all of us. I think we have a pretty good reputation out there. But if you happen to be the guy that messes up, "we all get dragged through the mud". I only say that to anyone who hasn't taken part in our Get Togethers before. Those who have in the past, have always conducted themselves in a respectable manner. Really a Great Group of people.

  So mark your calenders Friday Oct 18th and Saturday Oct 19th. I plan to be there the night before also.
 
Time for a "Progress Report". We'll make this Progress Report Number 1 on the Get Together for October 18th and 19th of 2013.

Progress is going very well at this time. I must say that is true because of all the behind scene work that is being done by site member "Atlas".

  I think our day is pretty much set up for Staten Island on Saturday 10/19. He is currently working on Fridays 10/18 schedule. In addition, he is working on trying to get us a deal on a hotel in the area. I can't thank him enough for all the work he is doing to make this an enjoyable trip for all of us. So far, my only job has been to be "the mouth piece". Just passing on the word.

  "Atlas" and I will come out with the entire schedule in a week or two. Again, due to the nature of this fire dept business, those that plan to attend, we need to be very flexible about it. Their primary mission is to protect the citizens. They may be at a job, relocated, or on some dept detail. "We come secondary".

  As most of us already know, this trip is planned to promote the FDNY and for many of us to get together for an enjoyable time for old friends and maybe meet a few new members.  It will probadly also be a learning experience for most of us as we visit and talk to the members of the various companies. We all have the same interest and we want everybody to have a good time.

  We only have a few very simple rules to follow:
    No booze until AFTER the tours
    Present yourself in a respectable manner during the tours
    We ask for a donation to our two charities we support in appreciation. The Elsasser Fund and Wounded Warriors Fund. We combine our donations and I will get a check to them. (I usually recieve a thank you letter from them and I will send you a copy of that, plus the cancelled check if you wish).

  So we haven't forgotten, and as soon as "Atlas" gives me the word, I will put out the entire schedule.

 
 
We haven't forgotten. "Atlas" has been working to make this an enjoyable trip for those who will join us on Friday October 18th and/or Saturday October 19th. He has asked me to hold off on posting here until everything is set up. When that happens, I will be happy to present the schedule.

  Many events are already set up as I write this. As it is planned, Friday is the Brooklyn and Queens area and Saturday will be the Staten Island area. Once the scheduled is announced, we would like to get a head count of those attending. I would just ask you to send me your name and phone number if I don't already have it. And for those that don't have my phone number, I of course give you that information if you have any questions.

  We will be car pooling between events. So if a few guys are willing to drive that would be great. Tolls and gas are not free, so if you can help the guy behind the wheel out, I'm sure he/she would appreciate it.

  It's a Great time for many of us to get together. Besides the tours are interesting and of course chow should be great too.
 
Just wondering you guys, how are you getting into Breezy Point? It's a gated community and you aren't allowed inside without a key card or a guest pass. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of all that before plans became permanent.
 
Make sure that every one has proper photo ID for the trip. Thanks.....
 
Atlas said:
Make sure that every one has proper photo ID for the trip. Thanks.....
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If you don't have proper ID you won't be able to get in.

But I assure you this; "there won't be anybody standing there with machine guns telling you to leave the area now".

Myself or site member "fdce54" will fully explain to those at the Get Together.
 
Haha ok you guys can go for it. We actually have a house there and I have been going down there for my entire life so I just wanted to let you know. People do call security though and they will ask you to leave so just keep that in mind haha.
 
FDNY793727 said:
Haha ok you guys can go for it. We actually have a house there and I have been going down there for my entire life so I just wanted to let you know. People do call security though and they will ask you to leave so just keep that in mind haha.
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Why do start & end this post w/haha ?
 
Honestly it's just to give it a tone that I'm not trying to be serious or anything. Keeping everything upbeat.
 
Willy D or Ken or anyone else, For the one that must fly in for the get together, should I look at JFK this time? Where is the recommended place to stay? Should I get a car (Larger than the last one) ? Time for me to nail it down, just let me know in PM Email, Phone or Text.

Thanks
Elwood
 
If u want to tour Breezy I suggest getting in touch with Chief Eddie Valentine of the Rockaway Point VFD. 
 
scoobyd said:
If u want to tour Breezy I suggest getting in touch with Chief Eddie Valentine of the Rockaway Point VFD.
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  Thank you "scoob...", I appreciate that. We did contact Chief Valentine and he is fully aware of our plans. Thank you for your willingness to help our group.

  Actually, the "machine gun story" is an inside joke that only a few of us know about. It involves "mack", CFDMarshall", "fdce54", "JBendick" and myself.

  Elwood, I'll be in touch with you. Certainly glad to hear that you will be joining us. Huggs and Kisses !!! Uncle Wilfred "D"
 
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